I recently became friends on social media with someone I haven’t seen or talked to in over ten years (if I’m being conservative).  Re-connecting in the virtual age has sent me into a tailspin of memories, thought patterns and regrets that have been uncomfortable … unpleasant.  And most importantly, unnecessary.

And it got me thinking.  Were we meant to stay in touch with all the people throughout our lives?  Were we meant to be reminded daily of who we used to be?  Reminded of the person we grew from, the mistakes we made…. Were we meant to stay stuck in a circle, in a box of who we once were?

I don’t think so.  I think social media has created a problem … not just with perfect lives and filtered photos, but with keeping us all stuck in one position, unable to move forward or change without the constant reminder of what once was.

In the end, I’ll probably end up un-friending this person because what does it serve to be connected, virtually, after years of growing into different people?  How am I served by seeing this person’s life but not having conversations?  Having this person see my life, without knowing the roads I walked to get here.

This is what I think about on five hour road trips through the changing colors of autumn.

xoxo, g